ADHD
needing attention:
recognition of aDhD
thE PrEVaLEncE of attEntIon DEfIcIt hYPEractIVItY DISorDEr (aDhD) haS IncrEaSED grEatLY oVEr thE LaSt tWo DEcaDES; PrImarILY aS a rESULt of EarLIEr anD BEttEr DIagnoSIS. BUt hoW ExactLY DoES thIS DISorDEr manIfESt ItSELf anD What, If anYthIng, can BE DonE for thoSE affEctED anD thEIr famILIES?
I
t is estimated that between three and five in every 100 school-aged children in the UK have attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (aDhD). that means that there are an alarming 300,000 schoolchildren across the UK battling the symptoms of this often distressing condition.
Yet, despite the growing prevalence of this behavioural disorder, aDhD is still chronically underdiagnosed throughout the UK, and the fallout from that underdiagnosis means that many children are suffering educationally, socially and psychologically.
What is ADHD? Put simply, aDhD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that generally results in a group of behavioural symptoms including
18 - PharmacY In focUS
inattentiveness, and hyperactivity/impulsiveness.
most cases of aDhD are diagnosed when a child is aged between six and twelve, with symptoms often appearing at times when a child’s circumstances change, such as when they start school.
although some symptoms can improve with age, many adults still experience problems in later life. the symptoms of aDhD fall into two categories: inattentiveness, and hyperactivity/impulsiveness, with most children experiencing problems from both categories (although this is not a hard and fast rule).
Symptoms the main symptoms in the inattentiveness category are:
• a short attention span • careless mistakes - for example, in schoolwork
• forgetfulness • a habit of losing things • inability to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming
• inability to listen to or carry out instructions
• apparent difficulty in organising tasks
the main symptoms in the hyperactivity/impulsiveness, meanwhile, are: • inability to sit still, particularly in calm or quiet surroundings
• constant fidgeting • excessive physical movement • excessive talking • inability to wait for own turn • interrupting conversations • little or no sense of danger
Perhaps unsurprisingly, these symptoms can lead to significant problems in various aspects of a child's life. In addition to underachieving at school, they may also have problems with discipline and may experience poor social interaction with their peers.
Diagnosis While it is estimated that around 72 per cent of people, who are treated for aDhD, experience favourable outcomes from their treatment, the same studies show that those, who are left untreated, are nearly three times more likely to experience poorer, long-term outcomes.
Equally troubling is the fact that the average delay from first concern to proper diagnosis in Europe is four years: a delay which can result in a child’s condition getting worse.
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